I smile, throw my hands up in playful surrender, and back off the course. He finally drops his ball and slides up next to it, aiming at the hole at the end of the course. He pulls the club far in the air close to his head and brings it down to the ball, stopping before striking it. He continues this motion several times before finally allowing the club to hit the ball, sending it sailing onto the next set of obstacles and interrupting the game of the only other people at the establishment.
“Man, I was so close,” he says defeated. I laugh, appreciating his boyish attempt to make me feel better about my abysmal athletic showing. “At least we have more candy,” he adds, handing me another pink Starburst before throwing a yellow into his mouth.
I gather my golf ball, abandoning this obstacle and we walk to the nearby course to retrieve Royce’s ball.
“Sorry about that, ladies,” he tells them as the very attractive blonde slides his ball into his hand. “We were getting a little out of hand over there.”
“It’s no problem at all,” she coos with a perky smile. Her two friends whisper together behind her, before pulling her arm toward them and whispering into her ear. Her eyes shoot back to us and then her smile brightens. I’ve been around the band enough times to know what that look means…Royce has been recognized.
“You’re famous, right?” the girl asks. “You’re the singer for Absolution.”
Yup, there goes our night.
Royce looks to me for the green light to acknowledge his famous status. I’m not exactly excited about it, but I go ahead and give him an approving nod. After all, this will only take a few seconds and then we can get back to our game.
“My name is Royce. Are you ladies fans?” he asks with an appreciative smile.
The girls jump up and down and pat down their hair in an attempt to make themselves more attractive. “I knew it!” the leader exclaims. “Can we get a picture with you?”
She slides her finger across her phone a few times to open the camera on it and shoves it to me. “Thanks, we’ll only steal your brother for a second,” she tells me before turning to look adoringly at Royce. “Unless he would like us to steal him a little longer,” she coos.
“He’s not my brother, but sure. Squeeze together and I’ll take the picture for you,” I tell her, waving my hands around like I’m directing traffic to get them to stand together.
They squeeze in tight, and the gorgeous blonde kisses his cheek. I quickly snap the picture. “Got it, looks good,” I say with fake enthusiasm, expecting her to back away from Royce. Instead, she keeps her arm wrapped in his and pulls him down to whisper something in his ear. He sneers and then looks to me, which only prompts a frown on my face. Her hand glides up and down his arms lovingly, but I fight the urge to march over to her and break her arm, opting instead to let the jealous emotions bubble under my skin.
“Um, thanks, but I’m going to have to pass. I already have plans for the evening,” he says, pulling his arm from her gasp.
“If you change your mind,” she begins to say before looking back to me and then lifting up on her toes to whisper in his ear again to finish her sentence.
He nods and she giggles, but I want to throw up right there on top of both of their shoes.
The college coed crew turns to walk back to their course, excitement mixed with every step. I can’t help but grin. As jealous as I was and am, I remember what it was like to be young and invincible. Rewind ten years and those girls could have been me and the girls, with Jen serving as our blonde leader.
“Did you really think she was his sister?” I hear one of the girls ask.
The blonde laughs and shakes her head. “No, but I had no other explanation why someone like him would be with someone like her. Look at her, it’s like she didn’t even try.”
My smile slowly dwindles. I look down at my yoga pants and tank top and run my fingers through my hair, which has fallen flat from the day’s stress.
They’re right.
Jack was right. Who would want me?
Why would someone like Royce, who can have his pick of women, and has taken advantage of that fact, ever choose someone like me? The most I could ever hope for with him is a friendship.
My throat constricts and burns as my revelation coils itself around my psyche. The tears threaten to spill over my lids, but I hold them back.
Royce moves in front of me, but I can’t manage to lift my head to face him.
“I just want to go home,” I murmur, my voice straining.
He places his fingers under my chin and lightly forces me to meet his eyes. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, as long as I get to be with you.”
A tear escapes and I hastily wipe it from my cheek. I nod, affirming I want to leave, but instead of leading me back to his car, he grabs my hand and turns it palm up between us.
He places a pink Starburst in my hand and closes my fingers around it.
“Don’t ever let anyone treat you like a yellow Starburst, Carly. You’re a pink. You’ll always be pink to me.”
“Really?” I ask hesitantly.
“More than you know,” he says before delicately kissing my forehead.
“Besides, pink Starbursts are always better than pink tacos,” he jokes with a slide glance as he pulls away.
A strangled laugh breaks free. “Thank you, Royce. I needed that.” His ability to take the pressure off of a situation is something I’ve come to appreciate about Royce. Jen thinks he’s childish and hates how he makes a joke of everything. In this moment though, there isn’t anyone else I’d rather have with me.
“Wait a minute, wasn’t that line from some viral twitter feed or something?” I ask.
His guilty eyes slowly move to mine and he chuckles. “I think the pink tacos give it a little something extra. I thought the words fit and was hoping you don’t follow the women’s inspiration quotes feed.”
I laugh at the idea of him reading daily chick motivation. “You really are a mystery to me, Royce. If I find copies of Cosmopolitan or Elle magazine at your place, we may have to deepen this conversation,” I joke.
“Hey! Cosmo has some great articles!” he defends. “And the chicks on the covers are hot!”
We both grin and he stretches out his arm for me to take. “Come on, pink, let’s blow this Popsicle stand.”
I wrap my arm through his and he leads me past the college girls and Wanda without a second glance or goodbye. His sole focus is getting me where I want to go, together. My heart may have pounded a little harder in his arms.
Carly
How he talked me into this, I’ll never know.
That’s not true. I know exactly why he was able to convince me to go. Other than the girls, Royce has become my closest friend, so when he asked me to go to his niece’s birthday party with him, I couldn’t help but say yes.
Jack has Olivia for the weekend, and now that I have Leah’s room all ready for her, she’ll be moving in next week. So really, this is not only just a free weekend, but may be my last free weekend for a while. Fall is starting to take hold of the year and the girl’s activities, and of course Jen’s wedding will consume our lives.
“You nervous or something?” Royce asks, pointing to my bouncing knee. I’m trying to be cool and collected about going to this family gathering, but in all honesty, I’m freaking out a bit. He has said very little about them. I know he has sisters…and that’s it. I asked the other guys in the band and they didn’t even know he had sisters. Apparently, he keeps his family life private. Still, I’d like to be prepared if I’m walking into the snake’s den. If Royce’s personality is any indication, I should ready myself for the Raiders of the Lost Arc snake lair.